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New Homeless Haven Backed by Billionaire

Sometimes, all it takes is a simple act of kindness to turn people around. Other times, a generous donation from a philanthropist can work wonders. Paul Allen, one of the founders of Microsoft (maybe you’ve heard of them?) announced a $1 million donation to Compass Housing Alliance, a nonprofit based out of Seattle, WA. This large donation will go to construct new houses for the city’s homeless population, and allow people to get back on their feet. Large companies like Amazon and Google have a long history of helping to finance a solution to the homelessness problem in their cities, and Paul Allen joins them.

Compass plans to use the generous amount of money by constructing new temporary buildings for the homeless. The units, called “transitional homes” by the nonprofit directors, resemble large metal shipping containers, and are meant as a sort of step up from tents. The prefabricated structures are much cheaper and faster for Compass Housing Alliance to create, as they’re constructed off-site and lowered into place by construction equipment. The executive director of Compass Janet Pope hopes that the homes work out, as they would take a significant workload off of the nonprofit’s builders.

This donation must definitely come as a relief to the organizations attempting to combat the homeless epidemic in Seattle. Here’s hoping that the model is a huge success, and more people can find help through their services.